This article is brought to you by Gold Medal Products Co.
How do you create a great customer experience? It’s about clean stores, friendly team members, well-stocked shelves, an environment that feels safe, machines that are up and running … and that unexpected item that can make someone’s day.
Some customers want the same thing every trip—tried and true standards are important. But impulse items are important, too. This is a category where freshly made popcorn can shine, Pete Bakala, vice president of branch sales and operations at Gold Medal Products Co., said.
According to 2023 NACS Convenience Voices data, 20.1% of people exiting a convenience store had made an impulse buy. Of those, 39.4% said it was because the item looked appetizing.
Gold Medal offers standalone self-serve poppers that don’t just look appetizing, but that create a sensory experience of smell, sight and even touch as the customer pushes a button to dispense the popcorn.
In addition, sweet and savory Signature Shakes® in flavors such as churro or cheddar cheese create an inviting condiments bar and allow the customer to personalize their snack.
From a basket building standpoint, think about how rare the customer would be who buys a bag of popcorn … but no beverage. Popcorn is a natural basket builder. To back that up with data, NACS 2023 Convenience Voices data found that packaged beverages, candy, or cold dispensed beverages are most often purchased alongside salty snacks. “Placing the ReadyPop® near the beverage station is ideal,” said Bakala. He shared that gross margin on the popcorn can be as high as 85%.
The ReadyPop® popcorn vending machine makes it simple for employees to pop popcorn when needed, taking less than five minutes to add kernels, oil and salt to the kettle. With a crisping system, it keeps the popcorn fresh through the day. Bakala noted that “operation is easy and not time-consuming.” Gold Medal recommends popping multiple batches early in the day to ensure the machine is stocked during peak hours.
The ReadyPop® popper “can fit comfortably on a counter or base. With the smaller footprint, it generates high profit margins, making it a smart investment for convenience store operators looking to maximize their revenue per square foot,” Bakala said.
Learn more about the ReadyPop popcorn machine.
This is the second installment of a two-part NACS Daily series. Read part one here. Learn more about Gold Medal Products Co.